Stopping mechanism for sewing machines



May 16, 1939.. B. T. LEVEQUE STOPPING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 16, 1935 May 16, 1939.

B. T. LEVEQUE STOPPING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 16, 1935 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 3 Nb Q I I I l I I I l I z I L- mil 3 .m m m we QWW y 1939- B. T. LEVEQUE 2,153,134

STOPPING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 16, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 10. lLijfiJl Q g H.

May 16, 1939. B. 'r. LEVEQUE STOPPING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 16, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 16, 1939. a. T. LEVEQUE STOPPING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nqv. 16, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Wwss 211 M: m'iiw' May 16, 1939.

B. T. LEVEQUE STOPPING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed NOV. 16, 1935 May 16, 1939. B. T. LEVEQUE STOPPING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 16, 1935 Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,158,134 STOPPING MEbgEQNISM FOR SEWING HINES Application November 16, 1935, Serial No. 50,171

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to stopping mechanism for sewing machines, and the invention is herein disclosed as embodied in a lockstiteh shoe upper sewing machine employing a straight eye-pointed needle, a shuttle, and

a separately operated take-up in which the sewing is stopped with the needle in either of two positions.

In inventors prior Patent No. 1,953,965 granted April 10, 1934, there is illustrated and described a driving and stopping mechanism for a chain-stitch sewing machine in which the machine is brought to rest with the needle alternatively in engagement with or withdrawn from the work. In that machine the connections for actuating the needle only are disabled when it is desired to stop the machine, the other stitchforming devices continuing for a time in operation until otherwise brought to rest. The needle is driven from the sewing shaft by means of. connections including an element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft and a treadle for controlling the stopping is arranged also to control the disconnecting element. After the 2s treadle is released, a spring acts on the disconnecting element and, as the needle reaches the desired position, yielding movement of the element is permitted to disable the connections.

In some types of sewing machine, as in a high speed lockstitch machine, a take-up operating separately from the needle or needle actuating bar is required to maintain proper control on the thread during sewing. The operation of such machine may not, therefore, be stopped with the needle either in engagement with or withdrawn from the work by disabling the needle actuating connections alone.

The object of the present invention is to provide in a high speed'sewing machine, a novel 40 and improved driving and stopping mechanism for disabling the operating connections for the needle or others of the stitch forming devices in a more positive and reliable manner than heretofore while the needle is either engaged with or withdrawn from the work and while the remaining stitch forming devices are permitted to continue in operation, and come to rest without shock or impact. A further object of the invention is to provide a driving and stopping mechanism of the type referred to which will operate to disable both the needle and take-up operating connections for a lockstitch sewing machine in either of two positions so that the machine may 55 be restarted after stopping without interrupting the continuity of the seam due to continued operation of the other stitch forming devices.

The principal features of the invention are embodied in a high speed sewing machine in which the sewing shaft is disconnectible from 5 the driving means therefor, and in which the train of mechanical connections between the sewing shaft and the needle may be disconnected or connected, while the needle is either engaged with, or withdrawn from the work, by means 1 actuated by the sewing shaft. The sewing shaft actuated means, in the form of the invention illustrated, comprises cams under the control of an adjusting mechanism for selecting in which of the two positions the needle is to be discon- 15 nected. By the use of cams actuated from the sewing shaft rather than by the application of a yielding force controlled by the operator, the needle may be more efiectively and accurately disconnected and any other stitch forming de- 20 vices, such as the take-up in a lockstitch machine may be disconnected simultaneously without resulting in any additional complication.

Certain features of the invention may also be embodied in a high speed sewing machine to en- 25 able more than one of the operating devices to be stopped while the needle is stopped either withdrawn from or engaged with the work and to be restarted when stopped with the needle engaging the work without interrupting the so cable to machines other than sewing machines where it is desired to disable the actuating connections for one or more operating devices in a. 35 number of positions'while permitting continued operations of others.

Further features of the invention consist in certain novel and improved constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter 40 described and claimed, the advantages of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated a machine embodying the sev- 45 eral features of the invention, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the sewing head of the machine with the parts in positions assumed while running; Figure 2 is a plan view of the sewing head; Figure 3 is a'plan view on an enlarged scale of a sliding blockforming a part of the control member for stopping the operation of the machine; Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the block shown in Fig. 3; Figure 5 is a sectional view, looking from the front of the machine of the mechanism 5 block shown in Figures 3 and 4, forms the control member for stopping the machine; Figures 10 and I l are more or less diagrammatic views, indicating the relation between the needle and shuttle of the machine while the machine is running and in stopped positions, respectively; Figure 12 is a sectional view of a portion of the take-up mechanism, as viewed along the line l2-l2 of Figure 5; Figure 13 is a view in side elevation and partly in section on an enlarged scale of .a portion of the machine, illustrating the mechanism for timing the movements of the control member, with the parts in running positions; Figure 14 is a view of the same portion of the machine with the machine stopped and the needle withdrawn from the work; Figure 15 is a similar view with the parts in positions assumed while the machine is running, just before stopping with the needle engaged with the work; Figure 16 is a similar view with the partsin positions assumed while the machine is stopped with the needle engaged with the work; Figure 17 is a plan view partly in section showing the position of the timing mechanism while the machine is running; and Figure 18 is a similar view of the same parts in the positions assumed when the machine is stopped.

) The sewing machine illustrated in the drawings is of the type known as a "vamp sewing machine for connecting together the vamp and side quarters of a shoe upper, and is equipped with a single straight eye pointed needle, indicated at 2, a shuttle 4, a feed wheel 6, operating at the upper surface of a work support'8, a thread tension in and a take-up comprising two oppositely actuated arms I2 and 14. The needle and take-up are actuated through separately operating trains of mechanical connections from a main sewing shaft l6 driven by a belt l8 carried by a driving pulley 26 rotating loosely on the sewing shaft and connected or disconnected therewith in a well-known manner by a sliding clutch member 22 engageable with thefiulley 28. This machine is arranged to form a lockstitch seam and, in some kinds of work, sharp-angled corners in the seam are made for the purpose of reenforcement or ornamental design. In turning a sharp corner in the seam, and frequently where it is difficult to manipulate the work in the proper manner during sewing, it is desirable to stop the machine with the needle at rest engaging the work so that the work may be pivoted about the needle. The machine is then restarted to continue the seam without interruption.

In previous lockstitch sewing machines of this type, no means other than the clutch are provided for driving and stopping the machine, a hand wheel 24 being mounted on the left end of the sewing shaft at a convenient position to be grasped by the operator to control the stopping position. The machine is first stopped before the corner is reached and then turned over slowly by hand to the desired position. Such operation results in loss of time and frequent removal of one hand from guiding'the work. With this means of con-' trol, stopping the machine quickly when operating at extremely high speeds is difficult if not impractical, the usual maximum speed of such machines being kept below 1500 R. P. M. although'the operating mechanisms are capable of much higher operating speeds.

To stop operation of the machine illustrating the present invention with the needle either in engagement with or withdrawn from the work, the needle and take-up both are brought to rest by positively disconnecting them from the sewing shaft while each is in its proper relative position, through non-yielding connections actuated by a timing mechanism driven positively from the sewing shaft, the remaining parts of the machine continuing for a short time in operation and finally coming to rest by themselves. The timing mechanism, to be described more fully herein-' after, is arranged to lock the operating connections for the needle and take-up in disconnected positions so that improper displacement or accidental connection will be prevented.

The needle actuating connections comprise the needle carrying bar 26 at the lower end of which the needle is secured, a clamp comprising a pair of plates 28, 30 held together on the needle bar by screws 82 and a laterally projecting. roll 24- on the plate 28 with which is engaged the hookshaped lower end of a depending 'link 36 pivoted at its upper end on a crank pin 38 at the forward end of a horizontal counter-shaft 48 rotatable in the upper part of the machine. The shaft 48 is rotated at the same speed as the sewing shaft l6 and is connected therewith through bevel gears 42 at the rearward end of shaft 40 and upper end .of a vertical connecting shaft 44, respectively. The shaft 44 rotates in suitable bearings in the machine frame and at its lower end is driven through bevel gears 46 on the connecting shaft and the sewing shaft, respectively. v

.The take-up arms l2 and I4 are secured to the outer ends of hollow studs 48 and 58, respective- 1y, by means of screws 52 and pins 54. The studs 48, are mounted in bearings formed in the side wall of the machine and at their inner ends are provided with lugs 56 on which are. pivotally mounted arms 58 and 60, each carrying a frustroconical follower 62. The pivotal mountings of the arms 58 and 60 are such that the followers at their ends may be swung in a direction parallel to the axes of the studs 48, 58 towards and from engagement with similarly shaped slots 64 of a cam 66 rotating with the counter-shaft 40.

continue in operation, as has been stated, the

hooked end of link 361s disengaged from the roll 34 and the followers 62 for the take-up are disengaged from the cam 66 by movement of a control member formed for convenience in assembly of two inter-connected sliding blocks 12, and 14, more particularly shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 9. On the-block 12 there is a horizontal rib 16 slidable in a guideway 11 (Fig. 8) in a vertical partition portion 18 of the machine frame. To hold the block in position in the machine, the block carries a stud 80 projecting from the rib 16 through a slot in the partition 18 and at the end of the stud is fixed a collar 82. At the opposite side of the block there are formed an elongated vertical slot 84' and two hook portions 86 and 88, at one side of and near the ends of the slot 84. In the slot 84 is guided a roll 88 (Fig. 7) mounted on the side of link 36 at its hooked lower end. The position of the lower end of the link relatively to roll 34 is, therefore, determined by the position of the block 12 so that when the block is moved from one side to the other, the hooked lower end of link 36 is moved towards or from engagement with the roll 84. To look the carrier bar 26 in either raised or lowered position, the roll 34 is permitted to engage the notches 86 or 88, respectively, when disconnected from link 86, the needle bar being held from rotary movement about a vertical axis when disconnected from the link by a roll 92 on the clamp plate 38 engaging a vertical slot in the machine frame.

To disconnect the take-up, the block 14 is moved simultaneously with the block 12 and is formed with upstanding arm 94 carrying a round headed pin 86 which is brought into engagement with the take-up actuating arm 68 at substantially the center of its rotary movement about the stud 58. As the arm 68 is being moved away from the cam 66, the upper end of the arm engages a lateral finger 88 on arm 58, causing the arm. 58 also to be disconnected from operation. When disconnected from cam 66, arms 58, 68 are locked in the positions in which they are disconnected by pins I88 on the arms arranged to enter slots I82 formed in a removable plate I84, at the side of the machine (see Fig. 12).

To move the control block 14 simultaneously with control block 12, a pair of upstanding lugs I86 on the block 14 surround the stud 88 which projects through the partition 18. The block 14 is mounted for movement on a pair of horizontal bolts I88 and H8 projecting inwardly from the left side of the machine frame and through a circular opening H2 and an elongated slot II4, respectively, in the block, (Figs. 3 and 4). To hold the control member comprising blocks 12 and 14 yieldingly in position to maintain the needle and take-up operating connections in connected relation, a spring H6 is stretched between a stud II8 on block 14 and the inner side of the machine frame.

The operating mechanism for the feed wheel 6 comprises a Horton or one-way friction clutch I28 (see Fig. 1) mounted on a shaft I22 carrying the feed wheel. For rotating the feed wheel the ratcheting portion of the clutch is connected with an arm I24 having a lower end surrounding a cam I26 secured to the sewing shaft I6. During each rotation of the sewing shaft the cam causes the feed wheel to be rotated a short distance.

To prevent the feed wheel 6 from feeding the work when the needle is stopped, the pressure of the work against the feed wheel is released, the work being normally pressed against the feed wheel by a presser-foot. The presser-foot comprises a roll I28 mounted on an arm I 38 secured to the lower end of a vertical presser-foot bar I82 mounted for reciprocating movement in the frame of the machine. During sewing, the presser-foot is yieldingly forced against the upper surface of thework by a spring I34 (Fig. 5) surrounding the presser-foot bar I82. The spring is compressed between a block I36 clamped to the bar and a threaded sleeve I88 surrounding the bar and engaging a threaded opening in the upper part of the machine.

Whenever the control member is moved to stop the machine with the needle in either raised or' lowered position, thepresser-foot is raised from the work. On the block I86 are mounted two rolls I48 and I42 extending in opposite directions, the roll I42 engaging a slot in the frame of the machine to prevent rotation of the rod I22. The roll I48 is so mounted that it is engaged by an inclined cam surface I44 on block 12, when the control member comprising the block is moved towards the left, as viewed in Figures 5' and '7. The presser-foot bar is shown in raised position in Figure 6.

The shuttle 4 is mounted to rotateon a vertical shaft I46 connected with the sewing shaft by bevel gears I48. During normal operation of the machine each needle loop is engaged by the beak of the shuttle shortly after the needle starts withdrawing from the work, the take-up action being such that a slight amount of slack is permitted to occur in the thread so that the thread may separate from the needle, as shown lnFig. 10. when the machine is stopped with the needle in lowered position, the needle bar is disconnected from its operating mechanism before the withdrawing movement of the needle is started so that the thread will not separate from the needle in a position to be engaged by the shuttle beak, as shown in Fig. 11. V

The mechanism for moving the control member to disconnect the needle and take-up from the sewing shaft comprises a series of vertically spaced timing cams and non-yielding connections operated positively by the cams for shifting the control member. The timing cams are four in number and are mounted on the connecting shaft 44 between the sewing shaft I6 and the countershaft 48. Of these cams there are two I58 and I52, for causing the machine to be stopped with the needle respectively engaged with or withdrawn from the work. The two remaining cams I54 and I56 are for again connecting the needle and take-up with the sewing shaft after having been stopped. in either position indicated above. Two follower arms I58 and I68 are provided hav ing followers to cooperate with the cams, the lower one I68 of which cooperates with either cam I54 or I56, and the upper one I58 of which cooperates with either cam I58 or I52. The followerv arms are mounted on a sleeve- I62 slidable but keyed to rotate with a vertical rock shaft I64 retained in bearings within the machine. To the upper end of shaft I64 is fixed an arm I66 connected by a link I68 to one arm of a bell crank I18 (see Figs. 17 and 18) fulcrumed on a stud I12 within the machine. The other arm of the bell cranki I18 extends into engagement with a roll I14 rotatable about the stud II8 on block 14. Movement of the bell crank in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 17 shifts the control member to disconnect the needle and take-up.

To lock the control member with the needle and take-up connections in disconnected positions, the arm I66 and the link I68 are so arranged that they form a toggle which, when thrown beyond centers holds the bell crank I18 from releasing the control member. The toggle formed by the arm and link is prevented from being thrown too far by a vertical pin I16 mounted in a position to be engaged by the arm I66.

In order to select which of the cams shall be operative to actuate the rock shaft I64, an adjusting mechanism is connected with the sleeve I62 to raise and lower the followers I66 and I66 to the positions cooperating with the different cams. At the lower end of sleeve I62 is formed a pair of collars 8 between which extend a pair of pins I68 carried by the forked end of an arm I82 pivotally mounted on a screw stud I84 in the frame. The arm I82 is connected between its ends with the lowermost of a pair of toggle links I86. The upper link I86 is pivotally connected to an arm I66 rotatably mounted on one end of a shaft I98. At the other end of the shaft there is an arm I8I carrying a perforated block I92, through which passes a rod I94 operated by a driving and stopping treadle (not shown). The treadle rod I94 below the block I92 is bent somewhat and carries a pair of collars I96 between which extend a forked arm I98 which is secured to a shaft I91 carrying an arm I99. The arm I99 is connected to operate the sliding clutch member 22 towards and from the pulley 20 so that when the treadle rod I94 is depressed the clutch is engaged and arm I 88 is simultaneously moved downwardly. The upper end of rod I94 is arranged to operate the arm I 9I yieldingly through a compression spring 200 carried on the rod between block I92 and a collar 202 on the rod. Yielding movement of the spring permits the clutch to be engaged with varying degrees of pressure without changing the position of the cam selecting mechanism. To insure that arm I88 will be raised by the treadle rod, a collar 20I is fixed to the rod beneath the arm. Connectingthe links I86 is a pivot 208 passing loosely through a vertically elongated opening in a horizontally arranged slide 204. The slide is supported loosely in a passage formed in the main frame, and at its central portion carries a roll 206 engaged by a forked arm 208 secured to one end of a shaft 209. To the other end of the shaft 209 is fixed an arm 2I0 pivotally connected to the upper end of a selecting treadle rod 2 which is normally retained by suitable spring connections in raised positions, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 1 and 13, the position of the selecting mechanism is the same, with the treadle rod I94 depressed and the machine started. The cam follower arm I60 is positioned to cooperate with the lowermost cam I66, which permits the control member to be'operated by spring H6, and the needle and take-up to beconnected to the sewing shaft. When the driving and stopping treadle is released, treadle rod I94 is raised and toggle links I86 act as a unit with their pivotal connection 208 sliding in the opening of slide 204 to raise slightly the follower carrying sleeve I62. This movement of the sleeve raises the follower arm I60 from cooperative relation with the cam I66, as viewed in Fig. 14, and causes follower arm I68 to be actuated by cam I62, stopping the machine with the needle in raised position. Rocking movement of the shaft I64 brings the arm I66 against pin I16 and locks the control member with the needle and take-up disconnected, as shown in Fig. 18.

If, during formation of a seam, a point is reached where it is desired to make a sharp angle in the seam line, the treadle connected with the selecting rod 2 is depressed, causing the toggle links I86 to be moved into misaligned positions, as indicated in Fig. 15. This movement causes no change in the operation of the machine until the driving and stopping treadle rod I94 is realeased. Upward movement of the driving and stopping treadle rod causes the sleeve I62 on rock shaft I 64 to be raised to its highest position with follower arm I68 cooperating with cam I66, as shown in Fig. 16. The cam I68 is disposed on connecting shaft 44with its point of highest radius substantially one hundred and eighty degrees from that of cam I62 which operates to stop the machine with the needle in raised position. The operation of the control member will, therefore, takeplace with the needle at the bottom of its stroke, while the remaining parts are permitted to continue in operation for a short time. After so stopping and swinging the work about the needle, the driving and stopping treadle rod is depressed and the follower arm I60 is operated bycam I to reconnect the needle and take-up with the sewing shaft in proper relation.

To prevent breakage by improper engagement with cams I68 to I66, the follower arms I68 and I60 are so mounted on the sleeve I62 that they may yield vertically as the sleeve is raised or lowered. The follower arms are mounted on radially extending threaded studs 2I2 and 2 passing through suitable openings at the inner ends of arms I68 and I60. The inner surfaces of the arms are flattened to form bearings with boss portions of the sleeve I62 surrounding the studs 2I2 and 2, and at the surfaces of these boss portions there are arranged to extend parallel to shaft I64 two cylindrical pins 2I6 partly embedded in these surfaces and partly surrounded by grooves formed in the inner surfaces of the arms I68 and I60. These pins, together with springs 2I8 surrounding the studs 2I2 and 2, respectively, act yieldingly to hold the arms in proper relation to the sleeve I62, the springs being compressed against the arms by nuts 220 at the end of studs 2I2 and 2. Movement of the arms by the cams will always cause positive motion of the sleeve I 62 and shaft I64 due to this mounting arrangement, but the arms may pivot slightly on their respective studs 2I2 and 2, if

necessary in raising or lowering the sleeve.

To release the thread from the thread tension III, the tension is actuated whenever the presserfoot is raised by the control member. The tension comprises a bolt passing through a horizontal bearing 222 at the top of the machine and a washer 224 between which and the bolt head the thread passes. A pin 226 in the bolt extends through an inclined slot 228 in the bearing so that when the bolt is rotated it also is made to move lengthwise in the bearing. To rotate the bolt, an am 230 is secured to the right end of the bolt and is arranged to overlie the upper end of the presserfoot operating bar I 32. When the Dresser-foot is raised, it engages the arm and rocks the tension bolt I0,'moving it against the force of a tension applying spring'232 to release the pressure on the thread between the head of the bolt and washer 224.

The nature and scope of the present invention having been indicated, and a machine embodying the features of the invention in their preferred form having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

1. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating stitch forming devices, a sewing shaft, driving means therefor, mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the sewing shaft includingan element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, and means comprising an adjustable timing mechanism driven,

from the sewing shaft acting under one adjustment to disconnect the needle in one of two positions and under another adjustment to disconnect the needle in the other of said positions.

2. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating stitch forming devices, a sewing shaft, driving means therefor, mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the sewing shaft including an element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, and means comprising an adjustable cam mechanism driven from the sewing shaft to move said element, acting under one adjustment to cause the needle to be disconnected in one of two positions and under another adjustment to cause the needle to be disconnected in the other of said positions.

3. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating stitch forming devices, a sewing shaft, driving means therefor, mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the sewing shaft including an element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, means including a timing cam mechanism driven from the sewing shaft and acting to move said element, and means for adjusting the cam mechanism to cause disconnection of the needle to be affected in either of two positions of the needle on stopping the machine and to cause the needle to be connected with the sewing shaft in proper corresponding position in starting.

4. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating stitch forming devices, a sewing shaft, driving means therefor, mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the sewing shaft including an element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, timing mechanism comprising cams rotating with the sewing shaft and cam followers for disconnecting and connecting the needle and the sewing shaft, and means for relatively adjusting the cams and followers during sewing to cause the disconnection to be effected in either of two positions of the needle and the connection to be effected in the proper corresponding position.

5. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating stitch forming devices, a sewing shaft, driving means therefor, mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the sewing shaft including an element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft, a control member having means for guiding said element, yielding means for holding the guiding means in position in which said element connects the needle with the shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, and mechanism driven from the sewing shaft adjustable during sewing to actuate the control member against the force of the yielding means with the needle in either of two positions.

6. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating stitch forming devices, a sewing shaft, driving means therefor, separate trains of mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the sewing shaft including separately operating elements movable to disconnect the needle and certain of said other devices from the sewing shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, a control member, adjustable means for actuating said control member to move said elements to disconnect the needle and the said certain of the devices with the needle alternatively in either of two positions, and means including mechanism for locking the control member while the needle is disconnected in either position.

7. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating stitch forming devices, a sewing shaft, driving means therefor, mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the sewing shaft including an element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, timing mechanism comprising cams driven from the sewing shaft and a cam follower adjustable with relation to the cams and connected to said movable element, and means under control of the operator ing an element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft, means'for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, timing mechanism comprising cams, driven from the sewing shaft, and cam followers adjustable relatively to the cams and connected to said movable element and means under control of the operator for relatively adjusting the cams and followers to cause one cam to be operative in disconnecting the needle in one position and another cam to be operative in disconnecting the needle in another position.

9. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating stitch forming devices, a sewing shaft, driving means therefor, mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the sewing shaft including an element movable to disconnect the needle from the shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shaft from its driving means, timing mechanism comprising cams driven from the sewing shaft, and cam followers adjustable relatively to the cams and connected to said movable element, and starting and stopping means under control of the operator for adjusting the cams and followers to cause one of the disconnecting cams or a corresponding connecting cam to be rendered operative by the starting and stopping means with the needle in one position, and selecting means for causing other connecting and disconnecting cams to be rendered operative by the starting and stopping means with the needle in a different position.

10. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, devices cooperating to perform an operation, an operating shaft, separate trains of mechanical connections for actuating said devices from the operating shaft including separately operating elements of the respective trains movable to disconnect the actuated devices from the operating shaft, timing mechanism driven from the operating shaft to move said elements in either of two positions of the operating shaft while permitting continued rotation of the shaft, and connections for adjusting the timing mechanisms to select the positions of said shaft'at which said elements are moved in disconnecting said devices.

11. A sewing machine having, in combination, a work piercing needle and other cooperating 6 i 2,1sa,1a4

'an element movablelto disconnect the needle from the shaft, means for disconnecting the sewing shait from its driving means, and timing mechanism comprising cams rotating with the sewing shaft and cam followers relatively adjustable to each other for moving said element, acting under one adjustment to cause disconnection of the needle to be eflected with the needle in one of two positions, and under another adjustment to cause disconnection oi the needle to be eiiected 5 with the needle in the other oi said positions.

BERNARD T. LEVEQUE. 

